Cancer is a significant health problem throughout the world and is still among the leading causes of death. Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by dysregulation of cell differentiation and proliferation; in advanced stages, it spreads to other areas of the body including vital organs and bone. Although tremendous advances have been made in the availability of multiple therapeutic regimens to treat cancer, currently available chemotherapy still remains unsatisfactory, and the prognosis for the majority of patients diagnosed with cancer remains dismal. Furthermore, many patients do not respond to any treatments. Of those that do respond to standard therapies, the effect is usually short-lived as resistance develops to the initial therapeutic regimens.
Niclosamide, sold under the trade name Niclocide among others, is a medication used to treat tapeworm infestations. However, niclosamide has high toxicity and significant side effects, so the compound cannot be administered in higher dose or higher frequency. U.S. 20140294957 discloses that niclosamide and derivatives thereof effectively inhibit transcription of the S100A4 gene, resulting in inhibition and/or reduction of S100A4-induced cell motility, invasiveness, metastasis and proliferation of human cancer cells. U.S. 20150174086 relates to therapeutic uses of niclosamide for the treatment of cancer.
ZIKV, a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is a global health concern and rapid progress has been made to understand its pathogenesis and to develop human in vitro models and animal in vivo models. A reference provides in vitro data suggesting the use of niclosamide in the inhibition of Zika virus infection (Nature Medicine, published online 29 Aug. 2016; doi:10.1038/nm.4184). However, there is currently no drug approved to treat or prevent Zika virus infection.